Slow-digesting carbs are mostly complex carbs found in foods with plenty of fiber and starch. Slow-digesting carbs also include simple carbs if they are eaten with their natural fiber or milk protein, such as fruits and dairy products, according to an article by the University of California in Los Angeles. Fast-digesting carbs include refined grains and foods with plenty of sweeteners including sugar, honey and corn syrup.
Whole Wheat Spiral Pasta With Sauce and an Apple
Whole wheat pasta is a slow-digesting carb because it is made of whole grain. Cook 4 oz. of dry spiral pasta then divide it into two portions when cooked; save half for tomorrow. Top the pasta with a ½ cup of spaghetti meat sauce. Eat a medium apple for dessert, another slow-digesting carb. This meal totals 340 calories and 66 g of carbohydrates of which 78 percent of the calories come from carbs.
Oatmeal and Honey
Old-fashioned oats is a slow-digesting carb. Cook 1 cup of dry oats in water then divide it in two; save half for another meal. Each portion has about 148 calories and 26 g of carbs. Mix in 1 tbsp. of honey, a simple sugar yielding 15 g of simple carbs. Top your oatmeal with a ½ oz. of walnuts. Add protein to your meal by drinking 1 cup of skim milk for 11 g of carbs; lactose, the simple sugar in milk, acts like a complex carbohydrate because of the protein in the milk. There are 394 calories in this meal with 54 g of carbs; 55 percent of the calories come from carbohydrate.
Potato Bread
Eat a sandwich made with white bread immediately after a workout. The fast-digesting carbs in white bread are readily absorbed by your muscles, enabling your muscles to store energy for the next workout. Include protein like deli turkey meat and a slice of cheese to further enhance the absorption of nutrients, according to a 2010 article by Stephen Bird, Ph.D., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal." Make a sandwich made with two slices of white bread, 4 oz. of deli turkey meat and one slice of 2 percent milk cheese. Increase your intake of fast-digesting carbs by drinking 1 cup of cranberry juice for a meal of 448 total calories and 54 g of fast-digesting carbs; 48 percent of the calories in this meal come from carbohydrate.
References
- University of California Los Angeles: Dining: Complexity of Carbs
- "The NutriBase Complete Book of Food Counts;" NutriBase; 2001
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal;" Strength Nutrition: Maximizing Your Anabolic Potential; Stephen Bird, PhD; May 2010
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